ok recently I posted a question about vue d'esprit...but now I am curiouse ....is lightwave a better acompanying program for poser or is vue? can you model in vue? {is seriously thinking about trying modeling} I am asking so many questions due to the fact that I have to make -one- good decision. {really the money should go to upgrade the puter but...} I want the program that will allow me to do more and with better results. I need versatility. any suggestions?

Attached Link: http://www.atomic-knights.de

As far as I know ( and I'm only doing this for some years) the is no moddeling in Vue at all. The Render engine of Vue is great and even better with the Version 4 (I still use the 3.1, maybe you can get this for a cheap price) Poser and other objects look brilliant in Vue but bitmapping can be a bit tricky. Basicly Vue is a sort of Terain Editor ( in fact it's much more) but it makes great landscapes with realsitic textures and plants. Vue is a lot of fun and you get very good results very fast. If you prefer moddeling you should look for something else.

If you can afford it, hands down Lightwave. Great modeller, excellent render engine, plenty of tutorials on the web, great user forums. If you plan to get into 3d, make characters, or even clothing Lightwave is the way to go. As far as generating landscapes and fancy skies, Lightwave can do it too. But it is a professionnal package and thus more expensive, so are upgrades, and you have to put in some effort to learn it, but it will quickly become very addictive.

You can fake a certain amount of modelling in Vue just like you can in Bryce. There are a few people out there who do stupendous modelling in those programs. (Look at Wappen's stuff. He uses Bryce, but the same techniques can be used in Vue. If you want to do clothes, though, I don't think even Wappen could do that.) OTOH, Lightwave is lightyears easier to model in. (DAZ uses LW for their modelling.) LW is a much higher end program with much more functionality. It also has a steeper learning curve, though I found the basics not too bad. (Then again, I've been a hobbyist for a while.) P4/PPP can be easily imported into Vue and there is Mover to import the animations. P5 doesn't import properly into Vue. When/if that will be fixed, no one knows. (You can force it if you still have P4 or PPP installed on your computer as well.) PPP animations can be imported into LW. P4 and P5 takes more work, although there is a commercial plug-in by Greenbriar Studios that imports Poser figures so you'd be able to use LW's better animation controls to morph, pose and animated your Poser figures. If you have the money, go with Lightwave. Vue is a nice program, don't get me wrong, but you can go farther with Lightwave if you're willing to work at it. Cheers!

Both work well with Poser. (Need Propack for Lightwave.) Lightwave is a much, much more complete package than Vue, which is basically a very nice scene generation package. Lightwave runs the range of special effects, modeling (one of the best modelers available), with all the animation tools to do virtually anything you can imagine. But the manual runs about 1000 pages... LW can do anything that Vue can do, but not vice-versa. But it's alot more to digest.

OK I don't own Lightwave but I've had some experience with it. If you seriously want a good all around modelling 3d animation program with one of if not the very best render engines get lightwave. LW7+ also has lot's of very cool plugins that come with it like particle and voxel effects (for smoke and stuff) and the best cel shader around. Having said all of that it's time for a reality check. LW is a huge investment for a beginner. (even though compared to Max and Maya it's a bargain) Then you will have to spend a very very long time learning and practicing before you make anything remotely good. If you simply want a program that will compliment Poser I'd go with Vue (I'm thinkin about that myself.) and for modelling get a less expensive package Like Truespace 4.3 (which can handle Poser import and export thru plugins) You can get both of those apps for a total cost of about 1/3 of Lightwave alone. Trust me, it would take a beginner years to get to the level of truly harnessing Lightwave's power.

ok with truespace....can I make things like jewelry and such for the models? see I really want to make somethings that are dancing in my head but I cant find anywhere. middle eastern style jewelry and such...can I do that effectivly in truespace? {I tried to make some head jewelry with the morphing mask but it just didnt look right at all}

Yes, you can use truSpace for modelling things like jewelry. It really depends on what version of tS you use as to how Poser compatible is. You'll either love or hate the interface. I hate it. Hate it, hate it, hate it. OTOH, PhilC gets wonderful results from it. LW and tS have demos, so you can play with them before you make a decision. I really think LW is the better choice between those two.

I agree with Crescent. With LW you can be confident that you will not be wishing for more later. Once you get the basics down you'll amaze yourself with the things you're able to do.

Uh OK. This dude is a total beginner. TS 4.3 costs $200 Lightwave 7.5 costs (IIRC) $1300. I admit I think LW 7.5 is the best all around program you can get (IE it does more out of the box than programs costing a lot more) BUT If this guy wants to model props TS is more than up for the challenge. BTW Based on the stats alone (since I personally havn't upgraded) It looks like TS 6.5 is getting up there in features with LW7. As for interface. You always learn to love the interface you first learn on. I started on Caligari 24 for the Amiga, which is the ancestor of Truespace. I love the interface... so much so that even though I really like LW and admire Newtek as a company, I just couldn't get comfortible with LW's interface and couldn't justify the expense, just so I could learn to crawl again.

Go check out PhilC's site. He even offers a Tutorial CD for modelling poser props in TS.

thank you I reallllly appreciate the advice{p.s. though I am a woman not a guy~smiles~ at least I was last time I checked} I have seen PhilC things and they are very nice. I just want to be able to creat the jewelry so it has some wieght to it..not just look like a one sided square that has been transmaped and all.

You make a good point Berserga; I'm sure TS is capable of doing what DarkElegance is looking for. LW was my first 3d app (almost a year ago now) along with Poser. While I sort of cringed at opening my wallet I have never regretted jumping in with both feet. I have appreciated the fact that LW is capable of doing everything imaginable (even if I'm still not) and that has been worth a great deal to me. But I can appreciate that not everyone is looking for the same thing.

just for the heck of it Im going to throw in another option and that is Cinema 4d, I think the full package is every bit as good as lightwave, and from my perspective far easier to learn plus you dont need to buy it all at once though its cheeper if you do. wanna create models for poser? just buy the basic R8. want more? get the other modules. the best advice I can give is go download all the demos throw rhino in the mix too, that seems popular with a lot of modelers. and try every one, the one that makes the most sense, buy it

Hehe, Usually I am not such a sexist. Apologies Madam. Heh now I have a question has anyelse other than Phoul, done some really cool movies with Poser and Vue? I'd love to see some more examples.

er anyone else

Attached Link: http://www.belino.net

If you really want to see what you can do with Vue4/Mover4 and Poser4w/Propack. Check out this site.

i'm currently making a 15mn movie with vue and poser and it's not too easy. In fact Vue is cool when u need to make some solo animation but start to be really bugged when u added several personnage. Some features are great but other are really annoying. That's my 1euro Laurent

I watched the movies and sat with my jaw droped open they were amazing!! I do web graphic animations nothing big at all I dont think I want to test the waters in real animations. I just have alot of ideas dancing around in my head and cant make it tangible {can that even be said with digital art?} due to my limitations with poser. I mean it is not like in life when you want to make something ....you go get the stuff and make it. here you have to learn programs.~sighs~ Ill decide on one...and then...~smiles~ hopefully I can get the ideas from inside my head to the screen.

Hehe I said other that Phoul...That is Phoul's site :p